AHPRA Nursing Registration Fees 2026: Complete Cost Breakdown for International Nurses

Fees changed on 9 October 2026. This page now uses the NMBA schedule effective 9 October 2026 and NCSBN's NCLEX fees, which change for registrations made on or after 1 February 2027. For the full 2027 budget, read AHPRA Nursing Registration Fees 2027: Complete Cost Breakdown. Nurses renew their registration every year by 31 May.

Planning your nursing career in Australia starts with understanding the costs. This guide breaks down every fee you will encounter on the pathway to AHPRA registration — from the Self-check to your first annual renewal.

Whether you are a Filipino nurse in Manila, an Indian nurse in Kerala, or a Nepali nurse in Kathmandu, knowing these numbers upfront helps you budget realistically and avoid surprises.

Quick Cost Summary

Before diving into details, here is the headline:

Pathway	NMBA fees (AUD, schedule effective 9 October 2026)
Stream A (Self-check outcome: Orientation Part 1, then apply)	$410 IQNM assessment + $346 application + $201 registration = $957
Stream B (outcomes-based assessment: Orientation Part 1, Portfolio, NCLEX-RN, OSCE)	$410 + $4,000 OSCE + $346 + $201 = $4,957, plus the NCLEX-RN in US dollars
IQRN registration standard, Pathway 1 or 2 (no NMBA exams)	$410 IQNM assessment + $346 application + $201 registration = $957, on our reading: every internationally qualified nurse must complete Orientation Part 1 before registration, and the NMBA says you pay the IQNM assessment fee to progress to it (confirm after your Self-check)

Your stream comes from the NMBA Self-check of your qualification, not from your country. Pathway 1 is for qualifications from the NMBA-approved comparable jurisdictions (UK, Ireland, USA, the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Ontario, Singapore, Spain) with at least 1,800 hours' practice in any of them since 1 January 2017; Pathway 2 is for nurses who qualified elsewhere on or after 1 January 2017, then registered through a comparable jurisdiction's exam process and practised 1,800 hours in any comparable jurisdiction. Neither pathway applies to a sole mental health, paediatric or disability nursing qualification. On top of these fees, budget for English testing, documents, travel and preparation.

1. ANMAC Skills Assessment (for migration, not registration)

An Anmac skills assessment is not a registration fee. The NMBA says the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) assesses skills for migration purposes, and that some applicants may be approved for skilled migration but do not meet the NMBA's registration requirements. Anmac's own eligibility checker tells nurses outside its listed exceptions to apply for Ahpra registration first. Budget for it only if you need a skills assessment for a visa. Anmac has announced new assessment names and fees that start when its new Skilled Migration Portal launches; it has not confirmed the date, and the new fees will not apply to an application you have already paid for.

Full Skills Assessment

• Fee: $595 AUD
• Current wait for the assessment to start: 6-8 weeks, according to Anmac's Full skills assessment page when we checked on 2 November 2026 (a guide only)
• Who needs it: Nurses who need a skills assessment for skilled migration and fall within Anmac's eligibility rules
• Validity: 2 years from the date the outcome letter is issued

GradReady Skills Assessment

• Fee: $395 AUD
• Who needs it: Recent graduates from Australian nursing programs
• When you can apply: only in a GradReady window. Anmac says GradReady is available during graduation periods; when we checked its GradReady page on 2 November 2026, the window was 31 October 2026 – 31 January 2027. You are eligible once you have recently completed an Australian course that leads to registration and have applied for Ahpra registration. Check ANMAC for the current window and fee before relying on this rate.

What you need to provide

• Clear colour copies of your original qualifications and transcripts (Anmac asks for copies of the originals, not certified copies)
• A NAATI-certified English translation of any document not in English, uploaded with the original
• Certificate of registration or licence from your home country
• Evidence of identity (passport, birth certificate)
• Passport-sized photographs
• A Certificate of Good Standing or verification of registration, sent to Anmac directly by your regulator (Anmac can't accept a copy from you)

Cost tip: Document translation typically costs $50-200 AUD per document (Anmac does not need certified copies). Budget $100-300 for document preparation.

2. English Language Test

All international nurses must meet the English language skills standard. For tests taken on or after 23 April 2026 the minimum scores are:

Test	Required Scores (tests on or after 23 April 2026)	Approximate Fee (AUD)
IELTS Academic	Overall 7; listening, reading and speaking 7; writing 6.5	$395
OET	Listening 350, reading 360, writing 350, speaking 360	$587
PTE Academic	Overall 63; listening 58, reading 59, writing 60, speaking 76	$395
TOEFL iBT	Total 91; listening 22, reading 22, writing 23, speaking 24	Varies
Cambridge C1 Advanced	Overall 178; listening 175, reading 179, writing 180, speaking 194	$395
Cambridge C2 Proficiency	Overall 185; listening, reading and speaking 185; writing 176	$395

Tests taken on or before 22 April 2026 are judged against the previous minimums. Results count for two years before the date you lodge your registration application (with limited work and study exceptions).

Two sittings: You can combine results from two sittings of the same test taken no more than 12 months apart, but only if each sitting meets that test's conditions — for IELTS, an overall 7 in each sitting and no component below 6.5 in either. Results from different test providers cannot be combined.

Extended education pathway: If you completed at least five years (full-time equivalent) of continuous education taught and assessed solely in English in a recognised country, including your nursing qualification, with the last period no more than five years before you apply, you may not need a test. Check the AHPRA registration pathway guide for eligible countries.

3. NCLEX-RN Examination (Stream B Only)

Stream B nurses must pass the NCLEX-RN — a computer adaptive test (CAT) with 85-150 questions.

Component	Fee
Examination registration — registered before 1 February 2027	$200 USD
Examination registration — registered on or after 1 February 2027	$350 USD
International scheduling fee (any centre outside the US, including in Australia)	$150 USD
Total	$350 USD before 1 February 2027; $500 USD from that date

The date you register decides the fee, not the exam date. The exam is delivered by Pearson VUE at test centres on NCSBN's list — including in the Philippines, India, the UK and Australia (there is none in Nepal) — so you do not need to be in Australia.

If you fail: You must wait at least 45 calendar days from the date your result is communicated (NMBA re-sits policy), and NCSBN allows up to eight attempts a year. Each retake is a new registration at the fee in force when you register.

Preparation tip: GdayNurse offers 5,000+ NCLEX practice questions aligned with the 2026 test plan's client needs categories. Try 25 free questions to see the question style.

4. OSCE Examination (Stream B Only)

The OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) is the clinical component — 10 stations testing your hands-on nursing skills.

Detail	Information
Fee	$4,000 AUD per sitting
Locations	Adelaide and Melbourne only
Frequency	Each calendar month, at one of the two locations
Visa (if you live overseas)	No OSCE date until you provide an Australian visa — at least three months before the exam cycle
Duration	10 stations × 10 minutes (2 min reading + 8 min performance) = 100 minutes of station time, plus registration, briefings and any post-exam quarantine
Pass requirement	Overall pass or fail; each station has its own pass mark

This is the single largest cost in the registration pathway. If you fail, you pay $4,000 again for each re-sit with no discount.

Why preparation matters: A failed OSCE means paying the $4,000 fee again. GdayNurse offers AI-powered OSCE simulation with 125 interactive stations — practise from home before you travel. Try 2 free stations.

5. AHPRA Registration Fees

Once you pass your exams, you apply to AHPRA for registration — within 90 days of your OSCE result.

Fee	Amount (AUD)
Application fee, general registration	$346 (the same in every state)
Annual registration fee (from 9 October 2026)	$201 ($193 in NSW)
Criminal history	Ahpra checks your criminal history as part of the application; some applicants also need an international check

On first registration you pay both fees, so $547 ($539 in NSW). The application fee is non-refundable.

NSW Practitioners

Nurses whose principal place of practice is in New South Wales pay a slightly lower annual fee ($193, after an $8 rebate).

6. Additional Costs to Budget For

These costs sit outside the regulator's fees but add up:

Item	Estimated Cost (AUD)
Document translation	$50-200 per document
Document certification	$20-50 per document
Passport photos	$15-30
Travel to OSCE (if not in Adelaide/Melbourne)	$500-2,000
Accommodation for OSCE	$100-300
Preparation (NCLEX + OSCE)	Varies by provider (GdayNurse's bundle starts at $515 for 3 months)
Visa costs	Set by the Department of Home Affairs — we don't give migration advice; see immi.homeaffairs.gov.au or a registered migration agent (mara.gov.au)
Professional indemnity insurance	$100-300/year

Total Cost by Pathway, Not Country

The regulator's fees do not depend on your country — your Self-check outcome (or eligibility under the IQRN registration standard) does. Use the summary table at the top of this page, then add your English test, documents, preparation, and travel to Adelaide or Melbourne for the OSCE.

Nurses educated in English in a recognised country, such as the USA or UK, may meet the English standard without a test.

Money-Saving Tips

1. Pass First Time

Every failed OSCE attempt costs another $4,000, and every failed NCLEX attempt a new registration (USD $350 + $150 for registrations from 1 February 2027). Good preparation is cheaper than a retake.

2. Choose Affordable Preparation

GdayNurse's NCLEX + OSCE bundle starts at $515 for three months — 10% off the two plans bought separately ($175 + $397).

3. Combine English Test Sittings

The two-sitting rule lets you combine two sittings of the same test taken no more than 12 months apart. For IELTS, if listening, reading or speaking comes in at 6.5, you can sit again and combine — as long as each sitting has an overall 7 and no component in either sitting is below 6.5.

4. Research Employer Sponsorship

Some Australian hospitals and aged care providers sponsor registration costs for nurses they want to hire. This can cover OSCE fees, visa costs, and relocation.

5. Ask About Tax

Whether any of these costs are tax-deductible depends on your circumstances — check the ATO's guidance or ask a registered tax agent before you assume a cost is deductible, and keep every receipt.

Timeline and When to Pay

Month	Action	Cost
Month 1-2	English test + Self-check (IQNM assessment fee)	Test fee + $410
Month 3-4	NCLEX-RN registration (via your IQNM dashboard) + preparation	USD $350 if registered from 1 February 2027 (USD $200 before) + prep costs
Month 5-6	NCLEX-RN exam (international scheduling fee, paid when you book)	USD $150
Month 7-8	OSCE fee (within 120 days of reaching the OSCE stage) + visa if you live overseas + preparation	$4,000 + prep costs
Month 9-10	OSCE exam (sit within 180 days of paying)	(already paid)
Month 10-12	Registration application (within 90 days of your OSCE result)	$547 ($346 + $201)

What Happens After Registration?

Once registered, your earning potential in Australia is significant:

Position	Annual Salary (AUD)
Graduate Registered Nurse	$65,000-75,000
Registered Nurse (2-5 years)	$75,000-90,000
Clinical Nurse Specialist	$90,000-110,000
Nurse Unit Manager	$100,000-130,000
Agency/Contract Nursing	$85,000-140,000+

Start Your Preparation

Understanding the costs is the first step. The next step is preparation.

• Try 25 free NCLEX practice questions — see the question style
• Try 2 free OSCE stations — experience the AI voice simulation
• View preparation plans — NCLEX from $175, OSCE from $397, or bundle and save 10%
• Read the complete NCLEX-RN guide
• Read the complete OSCE guide

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NMBA fees on this page are from the schedule effective 9 October 2026, and NCLEX fees from NCSBN's Fees & Payment page, both checked on 1 November 2026. Nurses renew their registration every year by 31 May. Always confirm current fees directly with the NMBA, NCSBN and ANMAC. GdayNurse is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NMBA, Ahpra, NCSBN or Anmac.